KHARON

Thanatology Review

Electronic Journal

Content

Volume 10

Number 3-4 · 2006

Original article


  CARLOS CENTENO
CARLOS CENTENO

M.D., Ph.D. az EAPC munkacsoportjának vezetője

ccenteno@unav.es

  DAVID CLARK
DAVID CLARK

PhD (szociológus), Az Orvosi Szociológia Professzora - Sheffieldi Egyetem, Klinikai Tudományok Osztálya (Dél),
Sebészeti és Aneszteziológiai Tudományos Szekció, Palliatív Ellátási Akadémiai Részleg és Igazgatóhelyettes

d.clark@sheffield.ac.uk

  THOMAS LYNCH
THOMAS LYNCH

  JAVIER ROCAFORT
JAVIER ROCAFORT

  DAVID PRAILL
DAVID PRAILL

  LILIANA DE LIMA
LILIANA DE LIMA

  ANTHONY GREENWOOD
ANTHONY GREENWOOD

  LUIS ALBERTO FLORES
LUIS ALBERTO FLORES

  SIMON BRASCH
SIMON BRASCH

  AMELIA GIORDANO
AMELIA GIORDANO

Facts and indicators on palliative care development in 52 countries of the who European Region. Results of an EAPC Task Forc

Abstract · In the framework of a comparative study the authors introduce the development of palliative care in Europe. In 2003 a task force dealing with the developmental issues of European palliative care was established to assess and evaluate the development in the field of palliative care in the European region. A task force is supervised by EAPC (European Association for Palliative Care) in association with International Observatory of End of Life Care (IOELC), Help the Hospices Foundation and International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC). The study reports on the surveys done so far and the two separate international studies that were based on actual assessments: one is a qualitative the other is a quantitative analysis. The task force’s work is extended to each country of the World Health Organization’s European Region.

Different service models were developed and realized in different countries. For example, beside the United Kingdom by the day Germany, Austria, Poland and lately Italy possess well developed and extended hospice networks. Mobil teams and hospital hospice support teams are mostly denizen in France. Development of day care centers is typical mainly in the United Kingdom which includes hundreds of provisions. In the most developed countries the number of beds per 1 million inhabitants is between 45 and 75 while in other countries this number is much lower. The study includes numerical data on the physicians who practice palliative care as a full-time job. The countries where palliative care is the most developed in the given subregion: United Kingdom in Western Europe (15), Poland in Central and Eastern Europe (9) and Armenia in the Commonwealth of Independent States (8) – numbers in brackets indicate the ratio of services per 1 million inhabitants. Furthermore, the study introduces the indicators of palliative care development that are based on bibliometry (citation index of scientific journals) and on the viability of palliative movement in the given country.

 GYÖRGY GYUKITS
GYÖRGY GYUKITS

szociológus, egyetemi adjunktus

gyukits@freemail.hu

 CECÍLIA KERESZTES
CECÍLIA KERESZTES

szociális munkás, jelenleg gyes-en

cecilia.keresztes@kishonti.hu

DR. KATALIN MUSZBEK
DR. KATALIN MUSZBEK

M.D. pszichiáter, a Magyar Hospice Alapítvány igazgatója

katalin.muszbek@hospicehaz.hu

The facilities to organize hospice care in the population living in persistent poverty

Abstract · In the study we report on the results of a qualitative sociology survey which was aimed to promote planning of services providing hospice oriented care in the gipsy population living in persistent poverty. During the research we endeavored to question seriously and incurably ill (primarily cancer) patients and the relatives of deceased people who died of such diseases. The research was performed by an interview method: we conducted 50 structured interviews. The sites of the research were the following: 9th and 10th districts in Budapest (gipsy minority living in a block-like segregation), Szondi-settlement and Békeszálló (both of them are gipsy populations living in a block-like segregation), Taktaszada (so called gipsy settlement) and Sajószentpéter (so called gipsy settlement).

The results of the research raise the attention on the fact that extension of hospice-oriented care on marginalized roma population living under bad social circumstances is hindered mainly by social problems like the issue of medication or other, mental kinds of problems evolving as consequences of social causes such as pathological grief reactions. Difficulties evolving from cultural causes are secondary but not negligible. Furthermore these are much easier to cure if those participating in the care are empathetic an deal with the patients with appropriate thoughtfulness. In contrary, social problems are much more severe because they are off the beat of hospice care and raise the question what extra tasks should be/might be taken by the institute providing hospice-oriented care.

DR. KATALIN HEGEDŰS
DR. KATALIN HEGEDŰS

PhD habil. egyetemi docens, mentálhigiénés szakember, hospice- és gyásztanácsadó

hegedus.katalin@med.semmelweis-univ.hu

DR. ÁGNES ZANA
DR. ÁGNES ZANA

egyetemi docens

 GÁBOR SZABÓ
GÁBOR SZABÓ

pszichológus, közgazdász, Ph.D. hallgató

szabgab@net.sote.hu

Medical students’ image of death and effects of courses dealing with death and dying

Abstract · By exploring medical students’ fear of death and the most pivotal elements of this fear, the authors’ research aim is to open the door to the elaboration and development of education and training programs which could reduce the future doctors’ and health care professionals’ inner anxiety and could improve communication with dying patients. Their follow-up study evaluating the effect of Thanatology Course at Semmelweis University demonstrates that training related to death, dying and improvement of the care of the dying patient has an effect on medical students’ attitude toward death. Improvement is seen mainly in attitudes which can be related to the improvement of knowledge aiming quality care of the dying patients. Significant differences are seen in relation with the medical students’ age and gender in both elements of fear of death and effect of courses.

 GYÖNGYI KÖRTVÉLYESINÉ SAMU
GYÖNGYI KÖRTVÉLYESINÉ SAMU

vezető ápoló

kortvelyesi@csongrad.antsz.hu

DR. KATALIN BARABÁS
DR. KATALIN BARABÁS

Dr. habil. PhD pszichiáter, egyetemi docens

DR. ALBERTNÉ MARI
DR. ALBERTNÉ MARI

megyei vezető ápoló

Experiences of medical students participating at thanatology courses

Abstract · In Hungarian medical education students acquire only minimal knowledge in relation with death, dying an grief. At the same time during their practice as physicians care for terminal stage patients will be an organic part of their job which can be a very difficult task if the student possesses no appropriate knowledge. Severe, incurable illness is a crisis trying the whole personality. Closeness of death strengthens the spiritual need to answer the final questions of life.

In their article the authors processed the experiences of medical students who participated at thanatology courses; the results reflect how the students’ attitude toward death changed as an effect of the course. New knowledge touched the students deeply and brought them closer to accept the fact of death.

 MÁRIA SZÁNTÓ
MÁRIA SZÁNTÓ

egyetemi hallgató, humán erőforrás menedzser, francia tolmács, szakfordító

Should we do grief work? Apropos of the thanatology course...

Abstract · We are loath to face death, the possibility of loosing someone, the pain of grief. But what about everyday losses when we loose ‘only’ illusions, dreams? How do we cope with theese? The article was born in January 2007 at the Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University as an end-of-semester essay by a second grade medical student.

 ATTILA KAZI-TÓTH
ATTILA KAZI-TÓTH

szociálpolitikus, mentálhigiénés szakember, lakóotthon vezető

egyutterzes@freemail.hu

Dying and after-death states in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition

Abstract · By introducing the Tibetan Book of the Dead, one of the main pieces of art of Tibetan culture known by more and more people the study presents what happens to human body and spirit during dying, death and in states after death. Furthermore with guiding indications and short explanations it introduces the basic ideas of the Tibetan Buddhist philosophy which suggest that it does matter how we live our lives.